The Know Daily - Monday 27 October 2025

_{Read in 4m 22s ∙ Listening to Lily Allen ∙}

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The hills of Jay Peak Resort in Vermont have found unlikely landscapers – herds of goats 🐐 Instead of machines, these animals are grazing across a 25-acre trial area, clearing vegetation naturally and helping the resort reduce emissions while boosting soil and water health. Side note: aren’t lil’ goats just the sweetest things?

🍼 Paternity leave in the UK

There’s a new campaign highlighting the gap between the UK’s two-week paternity leave and the six-week recovery time often needed after a C-section.

Why is paternity leave significant?
Paternity leave gives new fathers and partners time to support recovery, bond with their baby and share the load at home. Advocates say two weeks isn’t enough for families to adjust, especially when many mothers are still recovering from birth. A campaigner told The Guardian, “You have to parent as a team, but after two weeks that team gets torn apart at a really crucial time for the baby.”

How does the land lie in the UK?
Under UK law, eligible fathers or partners can take up to two weeks’ statutory paternity leave and are paid the same as mothers, £187.18 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings (whichever is lower). It must be taken within the baby’s first year. Some employers offer more generous policies, but the legal minimum hasn’t changed in over two decades.

What do campaigners say?
Groups like Pregnant Then Screwed and The Dad Shift argue that short leave reinforces outdated gender roles and puts pressure on new mothers to recover and care with little support. Their campaign points out that recovery from a C-section can take six weeks or more, yet many fathers are back at work after 14 days. With 42% of babies now delivered by C-section each year, that means 230k mums are expected to recover alone whilst solo-parenting a newborn. 

OK, what are the obstacles?
Raising leave pay or duration would mean higher costs for both the government and employers. On top of this, low statutory pay already stops many fathers from taking the full allowance. Campaigners also say there’s still stigma in some workplaces around men taking extended leave.

What about other countries?
The UK does lag behind many other nations. Over in Spain, fathers get 17 weeks of fully-paid leave, equal to mothers. And then there’s Sweden: offering 480 days of shared parental leave, with a portion reserved for each parent. Advocates say these models show that longer, better-paid leave can improve family wellbeing and narrow gender gaps at home and at work. 

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💰 Money Monday: A new survey shows around 7 in 10 daters bring up financial matters by the third date.

• The bigger story: Honesty about money now ranks as the top “green flag” on dates, with 37% discussing finances on the first date and 85% doing so by date five. Insights reveal that nearly half of daters would even list income or spending habits on their profiles. Oh and by the fifth date, 30% have already talked about investing (ICYMI: scroll back for some investment intel 👀).

🦀 Crustacean convoy: More than 100 million red crabs are making their annual trek across Australia’s Christmas Island. 

🇬🇧 New leader: Lucy Powell has been named Labour's new deputy following a close race against Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.

📱 Selling socials: The US and China are ready to move forward on a TikTok deal to keep the popular social platform running in America.

🇮🇪 Conquering candidate: The Independent candidate Catherine Connolly has won the Irish presidential election, pledging to be an "inclusive president for all".

🎶 Makes [us] smile: Lily Allen has received five star reviews after ending her seven year hiatus from music with the release of her brand new album, West End Girl. 

🔗 Last week’s most clicked: Gen Alpha’s favourite meme, fuss-free investing and a private island for sale on the Thames.

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Trivia answer: B) It might just surprise you, but Valletta in Malta came out on top.

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